Members of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group should be making monthly trips to Washington to help grease the wheels on the new NAFTA, says Liberal MP John McKay.

Members of the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group, including, from left, NDP MP Brian Masse, Liberal MPs John McKay and Wayne Easter, and Conservative MP Randy Hoback, emphasize the importance of cross-border outreach, especially with so many new members of Congress. The Hill Times file photographs and The Hill Times photgraph by Andrew Meade

With 100 new members in the Congress, MPs in a friendship group of Canadian and American legislators say work needs to be done to establish new relations with their incoming southern counterparts.

Gerald Butts has removed himself from the daily political grind of strategizing how to keep the Liberals in power. But observers say it's unlikely he will be consigned to watch the campaign unfold from the sidelines.

SNC-Lavalin risks a takeover if it's convicted. But aside from likely outrage in Quebec, Ottawa can find other builders for its infrastructure plans if the company is banned from bidding on federal contracts, experts say

The Quebec company had extensive access to government ministers and top staffers, and was the only organization registered to lobby for allowing deferred prosecution agreements for white collar crimes.